Why a Mobile Friendly Site is Crucial to Digital Marketing

Last year, nearly half of all online transactions happened on a mobile phone. Experts predict mobile eCommerce will generate more than $90 billion in 2018.

From these statistics, it’s clear people are doing more on their smartphones and tablets. From searching for nearby shops to checking social media, more people are doing it on mobile.

As a digital marketing professional, you might wonder what this means for you. The mobile revolution could change how you approach digital marketing.

Read on to learn why a mobile friendly site is crucial for your marketing efforts. Then learn how you can start converting your site today.

The Rise of Mobile

About 5 billion people, or around 70% of Earth’s population, have a mobile connection. The number of devices is growing too. Some experts project billions of devices will come online before 2020.

As mobile becomes more common, people have been doing more with it. In many countries, mobile users already outnumber desktop users. This means more people look at websites, use social media, and make purchases on their phones.

What’s more, mobile users spend around twice as long online. In turn, they consume more content, in the form of tweets, videos, and websites.

The Importance of a Good Website

Your website is how you connect with leads and potential customers. Most digital marketing strategies aim to drive traffic to your website. Your website is thus an anchor for all your online marketing activities.

If you want to deliver a great user experience, your website has to be up to the task. Whether people are accessing the site from mobile or desktop, you want to make a good impression.

Web design is important since it influences people’s opinions about a site and a brand. Content is important too, but web design will guide the visitor’s experience. Is it easy to find the information they want, or are they frustrated by slow load times and broken links?

Today’s websites marry form and function. A good design is nice to look at, but it also helps the user navigate the site.

Good design coupled with great content encourages people to have a look around. This, in turn, increases lead generation, your brand’s credibility, and brand awareness.

Why You Need a Mobile Friendly Site

You already have a great website. It’s easy to use, and it personalizes the consumer experience. Do you really need to optimize it for mobile?

Yes!

Since more people are using mobile devices, it’s more likely someone will view your website on one. As time goes on, it’s likely most of your customers will visit your website on mobile every now and then.

What Happens if Your Site Isn’t Ready for Mobile

There are a few problems with sites that aren’t configured for mobile browsing. They might:

take longer to load

display incorrectly

be difficult to navigate

be difficult to read

This translates to a poor customer experience. The visitor then leaves your site, and they don’t return. They’ve developed a poor opinion of your brand, so your image and credibility are both damaged.

There Are More Reasons to Go Mobile Friendly

Even if your customers aren’t looking at your site on mobile right now, they will be in the future. In fact, most customers already visit a site several times on mobile before they buy.

Mobile search has already taken over desktop searching. This fact is the major driver behind Google’s move to mobile-first indexing. Sites primed for mobile delivery get higher priority than those that aren’t.

If you’re using an SEO strategy, ponder that for a moment. If your site isn’t optimized for mobile, you’re undermining the time and effort you put into SEO.

What It Means for Digital Marketing

The sales department is likely advocating for a mobile friendly website. The statistics show why it’s important for your sales strategy. Is the mobile revolution really such a big deal for marketing?

Digital marketing strategies are already embracing mobile. This means optimizing ads for display on mobile screens. It also means using more video and images, as well as utilizing in-app ads.

Most of your advertising efforts try to drive traffic to your website. If your marketing is mobile but your website isn’t, you’ll likely see high bounce rates and low conversion statistics.

If you’re using inbound marketing for mobile, think about where the visitor lands. If the page doesn’t load quickly or the page is poorly designed, the visitor may be frustrated or fail to take action.

How do You Make Your Site Mobile Friendly?

It’s clear why you need to make your website mobile friendly. So how you do you go about doing it?

You’ll want to choose between two options. You can create a site built for mobile, or you can create a responsive site. Responsive sites adjust themselves based on what the user is viewing them on.

You’ll want to consider the following:

legibility of font

font size

how the content fits on the screen

the proximity of links

For more ideas on how to make your website mobile friendly, click here.

Adjusting Your Content Strategy

While web design is important, you also want to consider content.

Mobile users are busy, and they don’t want to read walls of text. Consider using different formats, like lists, to break up content. Subheadings help divide the text into more readable chunks.

Images are also important to include, and video is more popular than ever. Keep in mind most people say they’ll watch a video before they read any text. Mobile users also watch videos longer than desktop users.

If the page contains instructions, make sure they’re clear and concise. Your content should also be relevant and easy to navigate.

Focus on the first few seconds of the user’s experience, and remember, less is more.

Rethink Your Website Strategy

Having a mobile friendly site should be the foundation of your digital marketing strategy.

If you’re thinking about updating or redesigning your website, it’s easy to get started. Learn more about the role good design plays in the consumer experience and enhancing your brand.